Rob Leines-"Blood sweat and beers"

 

Rob Leines-"Blood sweat and beers"

Straight to your heart Outlaw country, honky tonk, Southern rock from the man with the telecaster. Part Waylon Jennings , part ZZ TOP  "Blood sweat and beers" is a real honky tonk, rowdy full of smoke and whiskey drinkers bar music. Harmonica, brings along the violin the country feeling to an otherwise rock album. No mumbo jumbo, intellectual shite, only music to start a fight or a ball on a Friday night. Fast paced , uptempo songs like "Saturday night" and "Rock n roll Honky tonk life" from a musician seasoned at the small club circuit. Country at "Southern breeze" and bitter life aspects at mean/black heart ballad "Patty Lynn" gives the man credits for been traditional yet diversified. 

 

 

 

You may not find him at billboard and MTV but he ll be playing near your house on the weekend nights with original tunes full of wild guitars, a great country voice and a hell of an attitude.An album to dance, fight and make love sometimes all in the same time. 

 

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 VINTAGE CARAVAN -"Monuments"

A power trio from Iceland that loves CREAM as much as HAWKWIND but has its own musical identity. A voice,clean,melodic that balances over razor edged riffs and a steady, ice cold rhythm section. For those who like their retro/vintage hard rock like a shinny day over the Iceland glaciers here is the right band. Snowballing riffs, ecstatic, rhythm section and a sheer, powerful voice in the definition of the power trio musical approach."Crystalized" is a mix of heaviness, groove and fusion through the eye of a 70s rocker with MOUNTAIN, AMBOY DUKES and URIAH HEEP having a ball laughing at KING CRIMSON.

 

Songs like 'Torn in two" are a mix of sheer power and calm parts, creating a dominating song that captivates the listener. For once more, the power trio works for the best interest of the musicians who are looking firmly at the late 60s, early 70s. Tight, heavy, yet melodic, heavy rock with a twist of psychedelic melody, is my definition of VINTAGE CARAVAN's music and is addictive as heroin, without the needle process troubles. Tripp y and at the same time loud and disturbing, won't let a hippie find the peace of mind, as the hidden BLACK SABBATH elements will kill the flower power dreams.On the other hand the paisley melodies will let those who loved TROUBLE's middle period, smile with delight. BEATLES, CREAM, Santana,HAWKWIND, BLACK SABBATH, TROUBLE, are starting a witches dance in this delightful album."Clarity" is a fine example, of the sensitivity of the album and "This one's for you" a soulful testimony and message to a dear person, now gone.

 

A dream flight over the cold Icelandic landscapes, wouldn't be more enjoyable.

 

 

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Song of the week - THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA - White Jeans

 Song of the week

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA - White Jeans (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

New single "White Jeans" is out now: https://thenightflightorchestra.bfan..

«Πεθαίνοντας την άνοιξη» Ραλφ Ρότμαν (Καστανιώτης)

«Πεθαίνοντας την άνοιξη»  Ραλφ Ρότμαν (Καστανιώτης)

Η Γερμανία της ανοικοδόμησης μετά τον ΒΠΠ. Γεμάτη ιστορίες δειλίας και ηρωισμού. Μία από αυτές του πατέρα του δημοσιογράφου, συγγραφέα του Βάλτερ. Δουλεύοντας σε ένα κτήμα αρμέγοντας και ταΐζοντας γελάδες, περιμένει το τέλος του πολέμου, ελπίζοντας στα 17 του να επιζήσει. Απολίτικος, ονειρεύεται να χορέψει με την προσφυγοπούλα από τα ανατολικά, που τους βοηθά στον χορό, στην παλιά μπιραρία του χωριού το Σάββατο το βράδυ. Ο,τι θα ήθελε ο αντίστοιχος 17χρονος στο Τενεσί, το Γιόρκσαϊρ, το Κίεβο σε ένα κόσμο δίχως φανατισμό. Όμως η ετοιμοθάνατη πολεμική  μηχανή των Ναζί, στρατολογεί και τον τελευταίο διαθέσιμο άνδρα, νέο, παιδί, για να ταΐσει το όνειρο της αντίστασης στον εχθρό. Η άρνηση τιμωρείται με θάνατο, εκτέλεση. Ο Βάλτερ με τον καλύτερο φίλο του, στρατολογούνται δια της βίας στα Ες Ες και γίνονται οδηγοί. Η ελπίδα το τέλος του πολέμου να τους βρει πριν το τέλος της εκπαίδευσης μοιάζει ιδανική, εκείνη την άνοιξη της παράνοιας.

Ο Βάλτερ έχει μια υποχρέωση, ηθική, να βρει τον χαμένο πατέρα του που πολέμησε με ένα τάγμα τιμωρίας. Η μονάδα του τοποθετείται κοντά στον χώρο που έδωσε την τελευταία του μάχη. Μια «ανδραγαθία» που στην πράξη είναι απλά ενδιαφέρον για τον συνάδελφο στρατιώτη, του χορηγεί μια άδεια και μια μηχανή με καύσιμα. Η αναζήτηση του πατέρα του, τον φέρνει αντιμέτωπο με το πραγματικό μέτωπο, την διάλυση, την παρακμή, την ανάγκη για επιβεβαίωση της ζωής ,μέσα από το σεξ όταν άνδρες και γυναίκες που την άλλη μέρα θα βρεθούν μπροστά στις  ρώσικες ερπύστριες αναζητούν μια αχτίδα φωτός, έστω και με μια πρόσκαιρη συνεύρεση.

Η επιστροφή του, από το πρόχειρο νεκροταφείο που μάλλον φιλοξενεί τον πατέρα του,  αποτελεί την επιβεβαίωση της ματαιότητας του πολέμου. Η επιστροφή του στη μονάδα του, του επιφυλάσσει την πιο δυσάρεστη έκπληξη. Ο καλύτερος του φίλος με τον όποιο κατατάχτηκαν μαζί, έχει καταδικαστεί για λιποταξία Και αυτός έχει οριστεί στο εκτελεστικό απόσπασμα. Μια βραδιά που κρατάει αιώνες, απολογισμοί, δάκρυα, αλά και αποκαλύψεις. «’Έριξα ελάχιστες σφαίρες στον πόλεμο και μόνο μία ίσως βρήκε τον στόχο» θα πει αργότερα στην μέλλουσα γυναίκα του. Το τέλος του πολέμου τον βρίσκει αιχμάλωτο των Συμμάχων και σύντομα ξένο στην ίδια την χώρα και την οικογένεια του, ένα στόμα ακόμα να τραφεί. Η αναζήτηση της κοπέλας που τον συνάρπασε και μια κοινή ζωή, σε μια Γερμανία που γυρνά την πλάτη στο παρελθόν, δίχως σκέψη, γιατί δεν αντέχει τι άφησε πίσω της.

Ο συγγραφέας γιός, μαθαίνει για τον πάντοτε καθώς πρέπει εργάτη των ορυχείων ,πατέρα, τι συνέβη εκείνη την άνοιξη του 45, που τον άφησε να χαμογελά γλυκὀπικρα και να μην μιλά ποτέ. Ο τυπικός Γερμανός της ανασυγκρότησης, κρατά τις μνήμες του για αυτόν και δίνει  στην επόμενη γενιά τα εφόδια να συνεχίσει, χωρίς τα ηθικά βάρη που αυτός κουβάλησε. Δυνατό βιβλίο, συναισθημάτων, δίχως ίχνος πολιτικολογίας αλλά με τον άνθρωπο κυρίαρχο στοιχείο σε ένα κόσμο συγκρούσεων, καταστροφών ,προδοσίας, αγάπης και πάνω από όλα επιβίωσης, μέχρι να έρθει η ηρεμία και η λήθη.

 

HEAVY FEATHER-"Mountain of sugar'

Another small masterpiece , the second full length album , from retro rockers  HEAVY FEATHER from Sweden. Similar to BLUES PILLS but with one big,vital difference. These bunch of musicians ,may have female vocals , may love Janis Joplin but they start with "30 days" a tribute to c  HUMBLE PIE "30 days"  and LED ZEPPELIN at the same time and they keep going on with a heavy rock attitude. They don't want to shine like BLUES PILLS as the next big thing, cause they are.The groovy rhythm section and the Hendrix like guitar are driving this album, less than 40 min long to drag you to a psychedelic trip along the late 60s. CCR,Hnedrix,Joplin, GRAND FUNK, Chicago blues, and this masterful voice that has the earthy tones of Joplin and the smoothness of Grace Slick. 

 

Nothing more to say, then, that this band is equal to legends like St Jude and deserves a wide acknowledgement in the rertro /vintage rock movement. They have their own identity, and they have the songs that are so classic rock that i would really like to listen this album in an 8 track tape machine to feel the oze of the 70s spreading all around. 

 

 

 

Get your bell bottom jeans, leave your whiskers grow, wore your leather jacket and dance to the 'Mountain of sugar " album. The best medicine for the corona virus depression.

8,5

 Hedvig Mollestad Trio -"Ding Dong.You re dead"

Bands like E.S.T set the standards and H.M.T is following their path. Fusion jazz, heavy rock and progressive music ,not rock in particular melt in a wonderful blend.KING CRIMSON is the easiest reference for the rock fans,E.S.T for the jazz lovers, MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA for the fusion rock and the labels losing their mind. Listening to the album ,after you get over from the shock of the name, it is a masterpiece of free form expression. Improvising on the steady yet innovative rhythms section, the trio is creating musical landscapes. The industrial "Leo Flash Return to the Underworld" with the futuristic, claustrophobic feeling and the dominating bass line, is the opener that instantly let the mark of the band.Heavy, unlimited, unrestricted fusion that moves from progressive rock to fusion jazz in a scale change.For those who are in to fusion in general, you will love each of the 42 minutes of the albumas this is its other positive point.It isn't another tedious show off, from technical skilled musicians but a  well planned and even better executed exercise in musical creation and performance. 

Compositions like "All flights cancelled' are the more alternative rock/pop influenced as they have the melodic lines dominate the composition, with guitar taking over the vocals role and incorporating elements from garage,surf, musical tastes you wouldn't expect in a fusion album. For the jazz lovers you have "Gimbal" as a prime example that H.M.T are torn between their loves and could be easily a big name in its genre, if they feel like limiting themselves."Magic Moshroom" is another example of different influences fusing in a jazz pice with its 60s overtones and the Santana/Al Di Meola feeling, a bit sunny and latin. Then comes my personal favorite "The art of being Jon Balkovitch" a fusion masterpiece with complex time changes and guitar parts  that Robert Fripp would love to have played.

 Norway was well known for Ronnie Le Tekro and his jazz influences in his playing in TNT. Now we have Hedvig Mollestad and her rock/metal influence in the jazz/fusion genre and we can't wait to get another taste of her musical mind in the studio and hopefully one day on stage.

8

 

Steve Lukather-"I found the sun again"

 

 

 

New solo work from Steve lukather and the guitar mastermind behind TOTO delivers an aw always diversified album full of variety and sonically challenging. The opening "Along for the ride" and "I found the sun again" is the closest you'll get to his day job band. The most rocking song and as always top of the top. But it is the one that is most limiting the man who uses his personal album as an outlet to offer his own unique artistic vision. Blues,jazz, fusion, funk, soul and some beautiful instrumentals are the final result.

The players feature many musical comrades of Lukather with a heavy cv,  Amongst those are drummer Greg Bissonette, keyboardist Jeff Babko, and bassists Jorgen Carlsson and John Pierce.  Toto band-mate David Paich performs piano and organ across the album, while Joseph Williams sang on multiple tracks alongside writing string and horn arrangements and tracking keys on "Run To Me." Both Paich and Williams co-wrote that specific composition, while band leader of the All-Starrs, Ringo Starr (THE BEATLES) makes a special appearance on the recording and in the video."I Found The Sun Again " features five new original compositions, and three covers, Traffic's "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys," Joe Walsh's "Welcome To The Club," and Robin Trower's "Bridge of Sighs." 

 

 

An album that shows us his other sides that we have the pleasure to see, mostly during the jams and his solo when he performs live with TOTO. A more complex or laid back Lukather who stands among today's great guitar heroes and has a lot in common with EVH as also with Allan Holsdsworth. That is why you need to be open minded to listen and understand the free jam form "Serpent soul" or even more at the cover of Traffic's "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys," and the instrumental "Journey through". Although the closing track t he cover of Robin Trower's "Bridge of Sighs." is a mind blowing rendition of the song and a real explosion of feelings for the guitarist.

 

 

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